Lamp socket



April 1939.. F. c. DE R-EAMER 2,155,240

LAMP SOCKET Filed. May 22, 1937 In venbor: Frank C. DeReamer.

b 1% idwnfim by Hmtt or-ngq.

Patented Apr. 18, 1939 2,155,240

v UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE.

LAMP sooner.

Frank C. De Reamer, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York ApplicationMay 22.1937, Serial No. 144,205 3 Claims. (01. re-350) The present invention relates to lamp sockets handle 26 projecting beyond the end of the base. or holders and especially to lamp sockets or Outward movement of the spindle is prevented holders for longcylindrical lamps having a conby a collar 21 on the spindle. Upon rotation of ta'ct ferrule at each end. the spindle in a counterclockwise} direction as 5 The object of my invention is to provide an viewed in Fig. 3 the ends of the bridging member 5 improved socket or holder for a lamp of this type 22 alternately rest on the inclined surfaces l6 having a switch for controlling the circuit to the and I8 and on the contacts l4 and 20. The cirlamp. cuit between the contacts is therefore successively For a consideration of what I believe to be made and interrupted upon rotation of the spin- 10 novel and my'inventio'n attention is directed todie. A disk 28 of insulating material is arranged in the following description and the claims apbetween the disk 3 and the switch. The disk has pended thereto. c an opening 28' providing a bearing for the spin- In the drawing, Fig. l is aperspective view of die, a notch 29 through which the spring arm 2| a lamp socket embodying my invention; Fig. 2 extends to make contact with the rear face of the 1 I is an exploded viewof the socket; Fig. 3 is an diskv3, and a tab 30 which covers the offset por- 1. end elevation of the socket; Fig. 4 is a sectional I tion l2 of the prong ll. elevation of the socket; and Figs. '5 and 6 are In the assembly of the socket the spindle 25 perspective views of modifications. is inserted through therecess 2. The prong Ii Referring to the drawing, the socket comprises and the contact are then fitted in place, the 1 0 a base I of insulating material having a cylincontact I of the prong resting on the inclined 0 drical recess 2 in one face. Located in the recess surface i5 and the contact'Zll resting on the inis a metal disk or contact 3 having spring teeth clined surface ii. The S-shaped' bridging mem- 4 projecting from its periphery which wedge ber is then fitted in the slot 24 in the spindle and against the side walls of the recess into notches. the disk of insulating material laid in place. The

25 5 to hold the disk in position. At its central disk 3 is now pressed into the recessholding the 25v portion the disk is provided with outwardly proparts in assembled relation. As best shown in jecting spring fingers 6 which form a. spring Fig. 4 the portion of the recess 2 in which the head adapted to engage in. the recess 1 in the. spindle 25 is positioned is of reduced cross-section. metal ferrule 8 at one end of a lamp 9. ,When This forms a shoulder around the inclined surthe spring fingers 6 enter the recess 1 they make faces IE or l8 against which the offset portion I2 30 firm electrical contact therewith and serve to of the tang II and a portion of the arm 2| are hold the socket on the end of the lamp. On the held by the disk 3.

under side of the base is an opening l0 through Upon rotation of the switch spindle, the circuit which projects a prong Ii which is adapted to between the prong ll and'the disk 3 will be make connection with suitable spring terminals successively made and interrupted as described 35 connected to a line conductor. The prong has an above.

ofl'set portion l2 which fits in a notch l3 in the Fig. .5 shows a modified form of lamp socket opening l0 and has an axially extending contact which is adapted to be connected to a plug recep- H which rests on a circumferentially inclined surtacle. The lamp contact and switch are of the 40 face l5 of a ratchet molded in the base. The same construction as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, 40

ratchet comprises inclined surfaces I5, l6, l1 and inclusive, and the corresponding parts are de- I8 each of which terminates in an abrupt shoulnoted by the same reference characters. The der l9. Diametrically opposite the contact I4 is base 3| is of slightly difierent shape at its lower a contact 20 resting on the inclined surface I'l. end. In the front face of the base are grooves 5 The contact 20 has a resilient arm 2| which bears (not shown) in which rest terminal blades 32 against the inner surface of the disk 3 and makes and 33. The blades are held in place by a plate contact therewith. The circuit between the prong 34 of insulating material which is fixed. to ,the II and the disk 3 is controlled by an S-shaped base. The terminal blade 33 is a dummy blade bridging member 22 having an intermediate-porhaving no electrical connection with the parts of tion 23 in a slot 24 in aspindle 25 and having the socket. It serves merely as a support for the 50 its ends projecting from opposite sides of the lamp socket. The terminal blade 32 is suitably spindle. The ends of the bridging member conconnected to the arm i2 which, as in the conform with the inclined surfaces of the ratchet. struction above, is integral with the contact I4. The spindle, which serves as the operating memwhen the socket is plugged in a receptacle the her, is journaled in the base and has a knurled terminal blades 32 and 33 provide a firm support 55 for the socket and the terminal blade 32 provides an electrical connection to the connection at one end of the lamp, this connection being controlled by the rotation of the switch spindle 25.

The socket shown in Fig. 6 is identical with that shown in Fig, except for the construction for holding the terminal blades 32 and 33 in the socket. This construction comprises a plate 35 which is integral with a cylindrical extension 36. The plate 35 serves the same function as the plate 34 in the construction shown in Fig. 5. The

cylindrical extension 36 fits around the upper end of the base 3| and serves to house the same so as to protect the metal contacts located therein.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A socket for a lamp having contacts at its end comprising a base having a recess in one face, a switch spindle projecting from said base, a prong for connection with a line conductor projecting from said base, spaced contacts in said recess, a contact member for one of said lamp contacts fixed to said base and clamping said contacts in said recess, said contacts being respectively connected to said prong and said contact member, and a contact for making and breaking the circuit between said spaced contacts upon movement of the spindle.

2. A socket for a'lamp having contacts at its ends comprising a base having a recess in one face, a switch spindle projecting from the opposite face of said base, a ratchet member in said recess surrounding said spindle and having surfaces extending axially along said spindle and inclined circumferentially, a shoulder in said recess outside said axially extending surfaces, a prong for connection with a line conductor projecting from said base, spaced contacts in said recess having portions resting respectively on alternate surfaces and having portions resting on said shoulders around said surfaces, a contact member for one of said lamp contacts fixed to said base and clamping said contacts against said shoulder, said contacts being respectively connected to said contact member and said prong, and a bridging member carried by said spindle for successively making and breaking the circuit between said contacts upon rotation of the spindle.

3. A socket for a lamp having contacts at its ends comprising a base having a recess in one face, a switch in said recess comprising contacts. a bridging member for makingand breaking the circuit between said contacts and a switch spindle in the recess for operating the bridging member, said switch spindle projecting from the opposite race of the base, a member of insulating material having a bearing in the recess for said spindle, a prong for engagement with a line conductor projecting from the base and connected to one of said switch contacts, and a contact member for connection with one of the lamp contacts electrically connected to the other of said switch contacts, said contact member being fixed to said base and forming a closure for said recess whereby the switch is held in said recess.-

* FRANK C. DE REAMER. 

